​Since its beginning in 2012, Holiday Matsuri (lovingly called HolMat for short), has grown exponentially in size. What started as a small, holiday themed convention in Orlando, Florida is gaining more and more popularity across the east coast of the states. During the continual growth, HolMat has managed to maintain its lighthearted holiday cheer that appeals to the masses.

2017 marked the second year of the conventions stay at the Marriott World Center, and there’s been quite an improvement from the first. In its previous year, a weighted concession tray was placed in every room, and, as stated in the previous report, if you so much as bumped it, the room was charged to obscene amount of money. FOR JUST BUMPING IT! Thankfully, they did away with that. No one needs to be charged for looking at M&Ms in a jar.

To recap the location report from last year:

Two pools, six on-site restaurant/food options of varying price ranges, gorgeous scenery and areas to take photos, and friendly, attentive hotel staff. Also, a sweet laser light show could be caught at the main pool every night (and you bet the Chibi Media staff were dancing at the top of it all)! The layout for the convention held minor, if any changes at all, which is nice, since we previously commented in our last report that the structure was smooth and cohesive.

Now, we got that covered, right? Right. Let’s get to the stuff you’re really here for.

​**Edit: The video of the Chocobro Panel isn't available just yet. We'll make a separate announcement once it's ready. Thanks for the understanding!**

My first EXPCon was seven years ago in 2010. At first, it wasn’t a particularly memorable convention, but I had a good enough time that I went back the following year, and even brought a friend along with me. It was that year, in 2011, and consequently, the convention’s last consecutive year, that I fell in love with EXPCon.

I have been attending conventions for ten years up and down the east coast, and I have yet to find another convention that puts as much dedication, drive, and heart into putting on the best show they can. Ryan Sweat, the con chair, and his staff are some of the greatest people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting and getting to know. Their passion to provide the best experience possible shows in everything they do. From the late nights and early mornings, to the communication and professionalism, they have it all.

​As for the convention itself, this was its first year on the scene after a six-year hiatus, but what a comeback it was! In its new debut, EXPCon was able to boast something no other convention will ever be able to: they were the first to have the entire main cast (and VO Director) of Final Fantasy XV as guests! Yeah, it’s a pretty big deal, but we’ll get to that in a bit.

This was a first-time convention for the Southeast team, and we had a blast! We have a bit of ground to cover, so let’s get right in on it.

​​We should say that this was also our first time being in Downtown Atlanta, so we were a little in awe walking through Olympic Centennial Park and then the CNN Center. (We definitely squealed about the We Bear Bears statue outside of the Cartoon Network store.) If you’re in the market for great photo spots, Momocon and its surrounding areas are the place to be. So many great landscapes and scenery to accommodate different types of cosplay shoots for sure, such as the afore mentioned park and the Red Deck. I never did quite catch why it was called the Red Deck, but I kind of like the mystery behind it. (Don’t ruin it for me.)

The photos from Holiday Matsuri have been posted over on our Flickr account. Please feel free to have a look and share them to your facebook pages. Please remember to credit Chibi Media when posting. Thanks!!

​This year was our second time attending Holiday Matsuri (HolMat for short), and it was much different than the previous year, with many changes that we are going to be covering in this write-up. Overall, we had a great time, and there have been zero regrets to making this convention one that we will attend every year.

Let’s get into it.

​HolMat made the decision to switch venues this year, moving from the Caribe Royale to the Marriott World Center just up the road. (If you’ve heard of that hotel before, it might be because it’s the same venue that OmniEXPO held their first year.) The place is huge, and there was quite a bit of walking to be done, especially if you were on the complete opposite end of the convention like we were, but it was a good way to get your fitbit steps in for the day! Before you say “it was too big” or “there was so much wasted space,” hear me out. Yes, the convention floor had its gaps, but having the extra space now will give the convention a chance to grow and improve the HolMat experience in the future. Remember that conventions are a business, and businesses have to work their way up.

​It’s been years since any of our members have had the chance to attend Florida’s Largest Anime Convention: MetroCon, but this year we were able to see how it’s progressed over the years.

MetroCon has really made a name for itself in the Sunshine State. With over 11,000 people in attendance (a 1,000 person jump from the previous year), the convention never saw a dull moment. The convention of course had its regulars, as well as newcomers from across the states, and even overseas!

AnimeNEXT holds a special place in my heart. It was one of the first cons I ever went to, and I consider it my hometown con. I’ve seen the convention grow in size, and eventually become too large to stay in their Somerset location. So when I heard they were moving down to Atlantic City, I was so happy, yet I was a bit hesitant. Fear of the unknown and all. However, I was very surprised by everything this year.​First off, the new location, the Atlantic City Convention Center, was HUGE! I managed to get lost just trying to find the registration. The larger space worked very well with the size of AnimeNEXT. It rarely felt crowded, even on Saturday afternoon. My only complaint was the escalator situation. Only one escalator went to the second and fourth floor, while a good four or five went from the first to third. It made trying to navigate very confusing. On Saturday during a photoshoot, we spent most of the time walking back and forth trying to find a way to get down. I can’t blame the con for that, but it made things confusing.

​MegaCon: where fandoms and genres collide in a hellish conglomerate of various states of nerdiness and fun. There is a reason why this convention in prefixed with “Mega” – it’s gigantic!

This was Chibi Media’s first time at MegaCon, and the only disappointment we had was that our time was cut short for personal reasons (including the overturned truck on the interstate that put us two hours behind schedule).

Located in the Orange County Convention Center and surrounded by more tourist traps than we have limbs, MegaCon has a plethora of entertainment to offer. From science fiction and fantasy to anime and video games, if you’re a nerd and bored at this convention, then you aren’t a nerd at all. There is something for everyone here – panels, artists, vendors, and guests that would blow your mind.

​​Every once in a while, we are introduced to something so cool that we just have to share it here on the website. As part of our new attempts to expand our horizons and step out of writing strictly convention reports, one of the first things I want to talk to you about it food. Everyone eats, and if you don’t, you need to. Stop reading this right now and eat a sandwich. Body positive, ladies and gentlemen!

If you like soup, and you like Japanese pop culture, then there’s a good chance that you’re gonna love this place.

​Right around Christmas time last year, I had the pleasure of getting to do an interview of sorts with upcoming voice actress Corinne Sudberg, the magical talent behind several voices in Team Four Star’s Dragonball Z Abridged and Hellsing Ultimate Abridged, as well as other notable roles. Since that time of year is always busy, and she is a very busy lady, I was lucky to have her take a few moments of her time to answer some pre-thought out questions about her experience in the industry and the people who has inspired her to keep pursuing what she loves to do.

Members of Chibi Media have been attending conventions since 2000. We have always loved the convention scene - taking pictures of cosplayers, enjoying the atmosphere, shopping (of course), and after over a decade, have decided to turn our passion for photography, cosplay, conventions, and writing into a full-time operation. We strive to bring comprehensive convention reporting with full photography galleries and video coverage of panels and events.

Private photo shoots are also available both in and out of the convention setting. If you would like to schedule us for a photo shoot or would like us to attend your convention, please feel free to use the contact form on the Contact page.